"Good work. How was the fortune-telling?"
"Did you get any interesting results?"
As we emerged from behind the blackout curtains, the crowd swarmed us as if they’d been lying in wait.
I understood being curious about the results, but I had a feeling it was better not to talk about these things with others... wait.
Was that a rule for fortune slips?
Then again, those were a type of fortune-telling too...
Well, I figured I could just leave the explanation to Sara-san.
"Well, I shall keep that a secret."
Sara-san must have been thinking the same thing. She winked and pressed a finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture.
That playful display was simply too cute for words!
"Good point. I've heard it's better not to tell people about things like that."
"No, wait, wasn't that the thing about fortune slips?"
The same debate was currently playing out inside my own head, but I wondered what the actual truth was. Maybe I’d find out if I looked it up online later.
"Kazunari, next you should go with Big Sister..."
"Sorry, Hanako-san, we have to head to our classroom soon, or we'll be late for our reservation..."
"Muu."
Hanako-san puffed out her cheeks in a pout, making her displeasure clear. I felt truly sorry, but if we didn't get to our classroom soon, we’d cause trouble for our classmates.
"...Haa, haa... Her Moe Power is too high..."
"That Little Angel is so calculatedly cute to the very end... It’s good!"
By the way, Sara-san did that cheek-puffing thing as well. Whenever I was the one on the receiving end, it was so adorable that it troubled me in an entirely different way.
Especially when Sara-san did it... it was just... diabolically cute. It was enough to make me feel like I was going to collapse from the sheer sweetness.
But if I left her like this, Hanako-san would only get more upset.
"If there's another opportunity like this, let's do it together then, okay?"
I suppressed the urge to poke those adorable, puffed-out cheeks and began my persuasion, projecting an aura of desperate pleading. I added a layer of apologetic sincerity for good measure.
"...Muu... Fine... It's a promise."
Hanako-san gave a small, somewhat reluctant nod. Then, she suddenly extended her right pinky toward me.
In other words, she wanted a pinky swear.
It was embarrassing to do this while drawing so much attention, but I had no choice. I hooked my right pinky with hers and made a silent pinky swear. I felt lucky that I didn't actually have to sing "That Song" aloud.
"...H-Hey, please, just tell us what happened!"
"Kishiyama-san, Kishiyama-sama!!"
"No way!! Besides, I've already forgotten what I read! I have no memory of it at all, so it's impossible!!"
On the other side of the room, the idiots were swarming Kishiyama-san. If there had been even a hint of her wavering, I would have jumped in to help, but it looked like she could handle it. Since she had provided such a remarkable reading, her sense of professional duty seemed high; she was quite reliable.
"Now then, shall we head to the next stop?"
"I've been waiting for this—Tea Time!"
"I've never been to a maid cafe before, so I'm looking forward to it."
"Me too! ...Oh, that reminds me, do you have maids at your house, Nishikawa-san?"
"We have helpers. In Japan, housekeepers are more common than maids."
Personally, I suspected that if a real maid saw the Japanese version of the profession, they might get angry and tell people not to make a mockery of their work. As for butlers... I suppose the closest real-world image would be someone like a Secretary. That was just my impression, though.
"I see. But I bet boys would be happy to have a maid around, wouldn't they?"
"To be honest... I'm not great with the atmosphere of maid cafes..."
I had expected Yuji to say that. He had a stoic streak and had always disliked flashy or superficial things.
"Yeah. I don't exactly hate them, but I'm not comfortable with them either... for various reasons."
In Hayato's case, he probably had visions of being swarmed by more maids than necessary, making the whole thing feel like a host club.
"Ahaha, it seems like things would get crazy if Yokokawa-kun went. By the way, Takanashi-kun..."
"I..."
"In the first place, Kazunari-san has no need for maids or helpers."
"...Exactly."
Yes, I knew Sara-san would react that way. Given that she refused to yield the duty of taking care of my personal needs and housework even to her own mother, Mayumi-san... a stranger was out of the question.
"A-Ah, no, that's not what I meant."
"Tachikawa-san, that kind of thing doesn't work on Sara."
"I see that now."
"Kazunari, it's almost time."
Hanako-san lightly tugged on my sleeve. Right—I’d said we were short on time, yet here I was getting caught up in another conversation.
"Alright, let's go."
"""Ohh!"""
We were still drawing a massive amount of attention, which was embarrassing, but being able to enjoy the festival with everyone like this was still fun.
Slide—
"Welcome home, Master."
The moment I stepped through the door of the classroom I sat in almost every day, several classmates—or rather, maids—were waiting.
I recognized them instantly, but seeing them dressed up like this changed their aura so much that I was momentarily stunned. It was incredible how much of a difference a costume could make.
"Oh, Takanashi-kun, are you perhaps fascinated by us?"
"N-No, I'm not."
I reacted a bit too strongly, which was basically the same as admitting it. But that wasn't it; I was just caught off guard.
"Hey, Takanashi-kun, don't just stand in the doorway. Come in!"
"Ah, sorry..."
Thankfully, Natsumi-senpai's voice broke the tension. She was right; I was just a little flustered by how different everyone looked.
Pulling myself together, I entered the classroom as if nothing had happened, and the others followed in order. Looking at the maids and the decorations, everyone began to murmur with interest.
"Welcome home, Young Lady!!"
"Eh? Ah, yes, I have returned..."
Sara-san gave a bewildered reaction to the classic maid cafe greeting. Seeing her so uncharacteristically flustered by the roleplay was a rather heartwarming sight.
"Wow, the maid outfits are so cute!"
"Yeah, they really are. I almost want to try wearing one too..."
Todo-san in a maid outfit... the destructive power of that thought was immense. I could easily picture her shyly attending to customers... yeah, that would be cute. Hayato seemed to be imagining the same thing, as he was staring at Todo-san with a slightly flushed face.
It couldn't be helped. It was only natural.
"Welcome home, Young Lady."
"Good work."
With her twin-tails swaying, Hanako-san walked briskly toward our table with a strangely composed air. She was definitely doing a Young Lady Roleplay.
"Welcome home, Young Lady."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Finally, Nishikawa-san offered words of appreciation to the maids with practiced ease. She was so dignified that she didn't look out of place at all. I suppose she was used to being called "Young Lady."
Yuji just nodded silently and headed for the seats, while Hayato looked quite troubled as he was immediately swarmed by multiple maids. It was interesting to see how much everyone’s personality dictated their reaction to such a simple thing.
A plate reading "Student Council's Party" had been placed on the large table in the back, and some preparations had already been made. Even though there were other customers, the class had gone to extra trouble for us; I’d have to thank them properly later.
"...H-Hey, look at the person next to Satsukawa-senpai."
"...Yeah, she's a total beauty."
"...She was in the seniors' RAIN group. I think her name is Nishikawa-san."
"...I heard that too. Apparently, until last year, she was called one of the Three Princesses along with Satsukawa-senpai and Yuzuki-senpai."
"...I wonder if Takanashi could introduce us."
"Husband, good work today."
The person who spoke to me was Kawamura, looking surprisingly the part. The butler outfit suited him perfectly, and he carried the exact right atmosphere. I found myself staring.
"Takanashi, what's wrong?"
"Ah, sorry, I was just surprised. That really suits you."
I wasn't just flattering him. His usual somewhat stiff image, his quick wits, and even his glasses made him the ideal candidate for the role.
"R-Really? The girls have been telling me the same thing all morning."
"I bet. You look like the real thing, not just some student in cosplay."
"I'm not sure if I should be happy about that."
If it were someone who enjoyed cosplay, they would have been thrilled, but Kawamura had been one of the people reluctant to do this. Still, he didn't seem to mind the compliment too much.
"Anyway, I brought the menus. Technically, the men are supposed to handle female customers... but you should be the one to give this to Satsukawa-senpai."
"Got it."
I didn't think he needed to be that cautious, but then again, while Sara-san wouldn't overreact, she only really responded well to staff who kept things strictly professional.
Meanwhile, Natsumi-senpai and Todo-san were being attended to by other butlers... Wait, come to think of it, Yamakawa, who would usually be the first to jump at an opportunity like this, was nowhere to be seen.
"Speaking of which, where's Yamakawa?"
"He's on his break time somewhere else. He’d just cause a scene, so we didn't bother contacting him."
"That is a wise decision. You have my praise."
"...Your words are too kind?"
Kawamura played along with Hanako-san, who was still deep in her Young Lady Roleplay. That was a rare sight.
"Master, here you go."
"A-Ah, thanks."
The maids replaced Kawamura and began handing out menus to the male officers. Setting aside the outfits, being called "Master" by my classmates felt incredibly strange. Since I didn't feel particularly happy about it, I clearly didn't have a Master Attribute—or a Maid Attribute, for that matter.
"Are you No Attribute, Kazunari?"
"Huh?"
"Master?"
!?
Just as she seemed to be contemplating something, Hanako-san took sudden action. I reacted instantly, though it wasn't the word "Master" that got me. It was just that Hanako-san was so adorable when she tilted her head like that. D-Don't get the wrong idea!
"Oh, did he react?"
"That was subtle. It seemed like he reacted because it was Hanako-san, though?"
"Right. That's how it looked to me, too..."
"Um, could you all stop analyzing me?"
I didn't see the fun in it, but I wished they’d stop scrutinizing my every move. Lately, even Nishikawa-san and Natsumi-senpai had started reading my expressions, and if Tachikawa-san joined in, it would only get worse...
"In that case, his Wife should try saying it too."
"Me?"
"Yes. We'll find out if Kazunari is reacting to the word or the person."
"No... wait..."
No, no, no, if Sara-san called me that, there was no way I wouldn't react...
"M-Master?"
"............"
Sara-san murmured the word softly, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment. Since I was sitting right next to her, I heard it with perfect clarity.
"It's just... more than the words... Sara-san's embarrassed expression is just... too cute. Honestly, I want to hug her right now..."
"Kazunari, your inner monologue is leaking."
"Fuo!?"
"K-Kazunari-san..."
I’d always thought no one actually did that outside of gag manga, but apparently, I was the exception. Sara-san, her face still bright red, stared intently at me... and then, for some reason, she spread her arms wide.
"S-Sara-san?"
"Well... if you wish, I am ready at any time. Which would you prefer? For me to give you a hug, or for you to hug me...?"
Fidgeting shyly, Sara-san pleaded with her eyes, looking quite expectant.
Ugh... that was too unfair...
"Hey, Sara, you aren't being serious, are you?"
"Eririn, you're asking even though you know she's serious, right?"
"I have no reason to joke about this, do I?"
"""……………"""
Sara-san's expression seemed to say, "What a strange thing to ask, Eri." She looked genuinely puzzled. And since I knew she was being completely serious, I understood perfectly well that I had to be very careful with what I said next.
"...Hey, what do you think Satsukawa-senpai is trying to do?"
"...She's probably trying to hug Takanashi-kun..."
"...Right!? Right!? Kyaaaa!"
"...Kuuu, they're showing off again..."
"...I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous at all..."
"...Maybe I should jump in and get in the way—"
"...You want to get killed by Satsukawa-senpai?"
"Kazunari-san, would you prefer it if I called you 'Master'?"
"N-No, your usual way is fine."
Sara-san took things like this so earnestly that if I’d said I wanted her to, she probably would have done it forever. But I’d only been momentarily startled by the novelty; I didn't actually have a Master Attribute, and I wanted Sara-san to be herself.
"Fufu... I understand."
"Satsukawa-senpai, if Takanashi-kun had said yes, were you really going to call him 'Master'?"
"Of course. If it is within my power, I wish to grant all of Kazunari-san's desires."
I knew it, but she really was serious. I’m glad I didn't say it, even as a joke.
"However, to be honest, I am relieved."
"Ah, right! I mean, a title like that is a bit much..."
"It is because I wish to call Kazunari-san 'Darling'."
"""……………"""
That was strange. This wasn't a new revelation; we’d had this conversation several times before. So why was everyone looking at us with such deadpan, unimpressed expressions?
How mysterious...